Automatic catch-hook and release for dredge-buckets.



M. HAHN & G. MAYER. AUTOMATIC CATCH HOOK AND RELEASE FOR DREDGE BUOKETS,

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1908.

919,003, Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 1.

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M. HAHN &G. MAYER. AUTOMATIC CATCH HOOK AND RELEASE FOR DRIEDGE BUCKETS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1908.

91 9,003. Patented Apr. 20, '1909. 2 SHEETS-SHBET 2 g KB MICHAEL HAHNAND GEORGE MAYER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC CATCH-HOOK AND RELEASE FOR DREDGE-BUCKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed. August 24, 1908. Serial No. 450,039. 7

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL HAHN and GEORGE MAYER, both citizens of theUnited States, and residents of St. Louis, Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Catch-Hooks andReleases for Dredge-Buckets, of which the following is a specificationcontaining a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to an automatic catch hook and release fordredge-buckets, our object being to provide simple, inexpensivemechanism for automatically engaging a catch hook on a portion of adredge-bucket of the ordinary clam shell type, and to provide meanswhereby said catch is released in order that the dredge-bucket may belowered.

To the above purposes, our invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts, whichwill be hereinafter morefully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of thetraveling carriage such as is ordinarily used in connection with ahoisting dredge, and which carriage is equipped with our improved catchhook and release; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately onthe line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the leverwhich controls the action of the catch hook; Fig. 4 is a detail sectionshowing the catch hook in elevation, and dotted lines showing thedifferent positions assumed by said hook.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings :1 designates thetraveling carriage of an ordinary hoisting dredge, which is mounted inthe usual manner upon small traction Wheels 2, and which travel uponinclined tracks 3; and the movement of said carriage is accomplished bythe usual cables 4L operating on drums forming a p0rtion of the hoistingmachinery.

The mating halves of the dredge-bucket 5, which is of the usual clamshell type, are hinged upon a rod 6, and connected to said rod are thedredge-bucket hoisting cables 7, which are arranged in pairs and which013-) erate over sheaves 8 journaled in the carriage 1.

Rigidly fixed to the side walls of the carriage 1, between the pairs ofwheels 2 and sheaves 8, is a pair of vertically disposed plates 9, andformed integral with the inner faces thereof are inwardly projectingflanges or brackets 10; and seated on each flange or bracket is a pairof expansive COll springs 11.

Arranged to slide vertically against the inner face of each plate 9 is ablock 12; and formed integral with the top of each block is a pair ofoutwardly projecting flanges 13, which rest upon the upper ends of thecorresponding coil springs 11.

A horizontally disposed shaft 14 has its ends seated in the blocks 12,and loosely mounted on said shaft 1 1- is a hub 15, in the edge of whichis formed a notch 16; and formed integral with said hub is a dependingarm 17, the lower end of which is formed into a hook l8.

Loosely journaled on the shaft 14 is the upper end of a lever 19, thelower end of which curves slightly to one side, as designated by 20; andformed integral with the extreme upper end of this lever 19 is alaterally projecting lug 21.

A shaft 22 has its ends journaled in the plates 9, which shaft ispositioned above and to one side of the shaft 1i; and fixed on saidshaft is a depending pawl 23, the point of which is adapted to engage inthe notch 16 formed in the hub 15.

Fixed on the shaft 22, adjacent the pawl 23, is an arm 24:, on the outerend of which is fixed a weight 24?, and this weighted arm is so disposedas that its normal tendency is to throw the point of the pawl 23 intothe notch 16.

Fixed in any suitable manner to the shaft 22 is a plate 25, in which isformed a rectangular opening 26; and arranged to slide vertically ingrooves formed in the sides of this plate is a secondary plate 27, inthe center of which is formed an opening 28, of such size as to readilyreceive the lug 21.

The operation is as follows: When the dredge-bucket is being hoisted tothe carriage, the various parts of the device occupy the positions asseen in Figs. 1 and 2, with by the action of the hoisting cables 7, therod 6 strikes against the curved lower end 20 of the lever 19; andswings said lever slightly to one side, which action causes the point ofthe lug 21 to bear against the upper end of the sliding plate 27; and,asaresult, said plate, together with the plate 25, is shifted slightlytoward the right hand, (as viewed in Fig. this action necessarily rocksthe shaft 22, thus elevating the weighted arm 2st, and throwing thepoint .of the pawl 23 out of the notch 16. This movement frees the arm1'? and the same instantly swings by gravity into a vertical position,with the hook 18 immediately beneath he rod (3; and as the hoistingcables T slacken after stoppage, the entire weight of the dredge-bucketand its contents is transferred to the hook 1S and arm 17; and as saidarm is carried by the shaft 14, the same, together with the blocks 12,will be pulled downward a short distance, which action compresses thesprings 11. As the lever 19 is thus moved downward, the point of the lug21 rides over the face on the top portion of the sliding plate 27; andfrom thence into the opening 28 formed in said plate; and, as thisaction takes place, the plates 27 and 25 will swing toward the upper endof the lever 19, owing to the tendency of the weighted arm 2% to rotatethe shaft 22, and thus the point of the pawl is swung into positionimmediately above the notch 16 formed in the hub 15. The travelingcarriage 1 carrying the dredge-bucket 5 is now drawn along the inclinedtrack to the point where the bucket is to be discharged; and after thedischarging operation takes place, the carriage is allowed to descendalong the inclined track to the point immediately above the sand orother material which is being hoisted, or carried away, by thedredge-bucket. The operator in charge of the hoisting machinery nowtightens the hoisting cables 7 slightly, or to such a degree as to raisethe rod 6 out of the hook 18 and relieve the pressure on the coilsprings 11; and, as this action takes place, the point of the lug 21moves vertically relative the plate 27, andv in bearing against theupper portion of said plate, above the opening 28 therein, will causesaid plate to slide vertically in the plate 25 until the point of saidlug travels out of the opening 28, after which the sliding plate 27 willdrop back by gravity to its normal position, with its upper portionbearing against the lug 21. its the shaft 1%, and parts carried thereby,move upward when the weight on the springs 11 is relieved, the point ofthe pawl 23 will engage in the notch 16 formed in the hub 15; and, asthis vertical movement is continued, the hook 18 on the lower end of thearm 17 will be swung to one side, (as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4,)thus freeing the rod 6, and 1 the dredge-bucket is now free to belowered to the point where it is filled.

An apparatus of our improved construction is simple in construction,entirely automatic in all its operations, and is applicable for allforms of dredge-buckets which are raised and lowered when engaged upon atraveling carriage.

lVe claim l. The combination with a dredge-bucket and the travelingcarriage for supporting and moving the same, of a hook pivotallyarranged in the traveling carriage and adapted to engage a portion ofthe dredgebucket, a pawl pivotally arranged in the carriage and adaptedto engage a portion of the hook for normally holding the same out ofengagement with the bucket, and means actuated by the bucket for movingthe pawl out of engagement with the hook.

2. T ie combination with a dredge-bucket and the traveling carriage forsupporting and moving the same, of a hook pivotally arranged in thetraveling carriage and adapted to engage a iortion of the dredgebucket,a pawl pivotally arranged in the carriage and adapted to engage aportion of the hook for normally holding the same out of engagement withthe bucket, and a gravity lever suspended from the carriage and adaptedto be engaged by the dredge bucket for releasing the pawl from the hook.

3. The combination with a dredge-bucket and the traveling carriagesupporting the same, of a spring held shaft arranged for verticalmovement in the carriage, a hook depending from said shaft, a gravitypawl adapted to engage the hook to normally hold the same out ofengagement with the dredge-bucket and a gravity lever depending from theshaft and adapted to release the pawl from the hook when said lever isengaged by the upwardly moving bucket.

-l. The combination with a dredge-bucket and the traveling carriagesupporting the same, of a spring held shaft arranged for verticalmovement in the carriage, a hook depending from said shaft, a gravitypawl adapted to engage the hook to normally hold the same out ofengagement with the dredge-bucket, a gravity lever depending from theshaft and adapted to release the pawl from the hook when said lever isengaged by the upwardly moving bucket, and means whereby the point ofthe pawl is automatically reengaged with the hook as the bucket movesdownward.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL HAHN. GEORGE MAYER. Witnesses EDWARD E. LONGAN, E. "L. WALLACE.

